Cotton chopper and cultivator combined



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. L. MURRAY.

GOTTON GHOPPER AND GULTIVATOR COMBINED.

N0. 336,865. Patented Feb. 23, 1886.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

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2 sheets Sheet 2..

J. 'L. MURRAY.

GOTTON GHOPPER AND GULTIVATOR COMBINED.

(No Model.)

No. 336,865. Patented Feb. 23, 1886.

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JOSEPH L. MURRAY, OF \VEIMAR, TEXAS.

COTTON CHOPPER AND CULTIIVATORYCOMBINAED.

siPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,865, dated February 23, 1886.

Application filed September 9, 1885. Serial No. 176,608. Nomodeh) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH L. MURRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Weimar, in the county of Colorado and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cotton Choppers and Cultivators, combined, of which the following is a description.

Figure l is a side view of the machine, one of the drive-wheels being removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view. Fig. 4 shows a modification, and Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the chopper-blades.

This invention relates to cottonchoppers; and it consists in the detailed construction of the parts hereinafter fully described, and in the combination therewith of mechanism for cultivating the soil between the hills as well as for bringing the said hills to a regular form.

In the accompanying drawings,similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A A are two drivewheels, which run loose upon bearings on the ends of the axle B.

O is a frame securely fastened to the axle and connected by the cross-bars 0. Attached to the front part of the said frame are two small plows, D, having a short arm, (I, to which they are pivoted as a connecting attachment between them and the end of the frame. The use of these plows is to bar off the row preparatory to its being acted upon by the choppers and other mechanism. At the rear part of the frame two other plows, D D, are pivoted, the use of which is to return the soil to the roots of the plants, and hill up the row after it has been operated on by the choppers and other mechanism.

E are flanged thimbles keyed to and sliding upon the axle B, and provided at one end with a series of bars or shoulders, e. The ends of bars or shoulders e engage with the ends of similar bars or shoulders, e, which project from the hubs of the wheels A. A lever, F, is pivoted to the arm f for working each of the thimbles E, and thereby coupling the wheels to the axle when required.

G is the seat for the driver, situated above the axle B, so that he may conveniently grasp the handles of the levers F and the chopperarm supporting-lever.

H is a cam-wheel, secured upon axle B and provided with projections h for working the chopper. The projections h may be placed opposite to one another or alternately, according to whether it is desired to make the said choppers strike together or alternately.

A lever, I, is pivoted at its forward end to the framing, and usually to an upright, I, thereof. This lever extends in convenient reach of the driver, and a rack, I", is conveniently arranged to be engaged by and secure the said lever in any desired position. The chopper-arms J J are pivoted at their upper ends to the lever I, and have cuttingblades j at their lower ends. These blades are attached to the arms by bolts passing through slots, so that the said blades may be raised or lowered as required. The arms J J may be formed with jaws j, held by fragile pins or in other suitable manner, so they will give'backward should such arms or their blades strike a projecting rock or other unusual obstruction. Retracting-springs K K are connected at one 7 5 end one with each of the chopper-arms and extend thence and are secured to the side of the framing farthest from said arm. These springs operate to give the arms a tension toward the cam-wheel. Pins L extend from the chopper-arms in position to engage the side of the cam-wheel. To brace the arms and permit a vertical adjustment thereof the pins preferably extend through vertical slots in the arms, and are supported in the lower ends of swinging frames L, which are pivotally supported at their upper ends on the framing.

In practice it is usual to secure the retracting. springs to the swinging frames. By the slot ted construction the arms may be raised or go lowered, and be operated by the cam-wheel when at any point of vertical adjustment. Manifestly this result might be secured without slotting the arms-as, for instance, by the construction shown in Fig. 4., in which the pin L is shown with a thimble or collar, L",encircling the chopper-arm so the latter may move freely through it. A plow-carrying beam, M,

is pivoted atm to the support M, which in turn is supported by the frame of the machine. The plow or plows of this beam work directly in the center of the rows behind the choppers and cultivate the ground between the hills. In order that the said plows may not root up a assess the plants growing in the hills, each plow.- standard is carried forward, and is provided with a short arm or cam, m, which, if desired, may be adj ustably connected with the beam, in order that the plow or plows may be raised any desired distance in order to pass over smaller or larger crops and short orlonghills. Cams N N are attached to and project laterally from the cam-wheel. These cams strike against the short arms or cams m, above described, and are so placed and adjusted upon the wheels as to depress the forward ends of beams M and raise the plows whenever they come to a hill and hold them up until the ma chine has passed over the hill. The plows then fall by their own weight and are pressed thereby into the ground between the hills. The number of cams used varies according to the size of the driving-wheels and the distance between the hills. When two or more plows are used on the beam M, one is placed behind the other,and the wheel which works the backmost plow is locked to the axle, so that its cams are the same distance behind the cams of the other wheel, which works the foremost plow, as the distance between the two plows. Thetwo plowsare thus lifted out of the ground and pressed into it at the same spot.

It will be noticed that the chopping-blades are arranged one in front of the other, and the edge cams on the cam-wheel are arranged slightly one in advance of the other. By this construction one blade will be released shortly before the other, but the latter, when released, will strike in the same place as the former, because the machine will have meanwhile been moved forward. that the edge eams have an abrupt or acutely inclined portion at their inner edges, which operates to quickly throw the blade outward, and thus prevent its injuring the portion of the row it is desired to leave standing.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is-- 1. The combination of the framing, the chopper-arms, the cams constructed to engage said arms, onein advance of the other, where by said arms will be alternately operated, and the blades secured on the chopper arms and set one in advance of the other. whereby the bladeof the arm last operated will cut oppo-, site the space previously chopped by that of the hfirst-operated arm, substantially as set fort It will also be noticed 2. In a cotton choppo-r, the combination of the cam-wheel, the" chopperrarms pivotally supported, the swinging frames, the pins supported in said frames and connected with the chopper-arms, and the retracting-springs, substantially as set forth.

3. In a cotton-chopper, the combination of the drive-wheels, the cam-wheel, and the plow-beam pivoted between its ends, and provided at its forward end with a cam or arm arranged and adapted to be engaged by the cams of the cam-wheel, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a cotton-chopper, the combination of the cam-wheel, the chopping-arms pivotally supported, pins connected with said arms and extended in position to be engaged by the camwheel, and the pivoted plow-beam having its forward end provided with a cam or arm arranged in position to be engaged by the cam-wheel, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the cam-wheel and the chopper-arms, of the swinging frames, and the pins supported in said frames and having one end extended in position to be engagedby the cam-wheel, and their other ends connected with the chopper-arms, substantially as described, whereby such arms may be adjusted longitudinally independent of the pins, as and for the purposes specified.

6. In a cotton chopper, the combination of the framing, the lever pivoted thereto, rack mechanism whereby to secure such lever, the chopper-arms supported on such lever, the cam-wheel, the swinging frames, the pins supported thereby and connected with the chopper-arms, the retracting-springs, and the plow-beam pivoted between its ends and having its forward end provided with a cam or arm arranged and adapted to be engaged by the cam-whee], substantially as set forth.

7. Acombined chopper and cultivator comprising a supporting-frame, chopping apparatus, a cultivating-plow located in rear of the chopping apparatus and in line with the point at which the chopping apparatus cuts out the row, whereby the cut-out portion will be cultivated, and mechanism whereby the cultivating-plow may be elevated over the stands of plants, substantially as set forth.

JOSEPH L. MURRAY.

Witnesses:

J NO. D. SULLIVAN, J. W. KING. 

